MSEDCL ordered to pay back Rs 800 cr to consumers

ST Correspondent

Saturday, 2 September 2017

Mumbai: More than 2 lakh consumers of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Corporation Ltd (MSEDCL), will get back the amount of Rs 800 crore, that was charged by the MSEDCL for infrastructure cost. The Supreme Court recently ordered the power utility to repay the amount to the consumers.

Pratap Hogade, Janata Dal (Secular) leader and president of Maharashtra Electricity Consumer Forum, had filed a petition about the extra amount charged by the MSEDCL as infrastructure cost.

Mumbai: More than 2 lakh consumers of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Corporation Ltd (MSEDCL), will get back the amount of Rs 800 crore, that was charged by the MSEDCL for infrastructure cost. The Supreme Court recently ordered the power utility to repay the amount to the consumers.

Pratap Hogade, Janata Dal (Secular) leader and president of Maharashtra Electricity Consumer Forum, had filed a petition about the extra amount charged by the MSEDCL as infrastructure cost.

Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Corporation (MERC) declared fare list in September 2006. After that the MSEDCL has no right to charge consumers with service line charge or meter cost. "Even after that the MSEDCL was charging the cost from the consumer and that was illegal," said Hogade.

Hogade had demanded that the amount wrongly recovered from the consumers should be repaid to them. "I filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court and the Honourable Court agreed," he said.

"The MSEDCL is not returning the amount to farmers and other consumers even after the Supreme Court order. If the MSEDCL does not follow the order, then we will have to file individual complaints against MSEDCL in the court," Hogade said.